State of Russia + Reform + Gov/Tsars Flashcards
What % of Russia were nobles and which were serfs (in 1858)
88% were serfs
10% were nobles
What was the inheritance law presesnt within the Russian nobilities and what were the effects of this
Property is divided among all the sons, leading to:
-nobles seeking out beauraucratic posts and military jobs
What were Grand Seignures
The top 1% of serf owners with >1000 serfs
often dominated army and had top positions in bureaucracy
What was the village to townspeople ratio in Britian and Russia in 1840
Britain 2:1
Russia 11:1
What was the growth in urbanisation from 1861-96
6% - 15% in towns
Who were the Intelligenstia
educated professionals ( teachers,doctors ) who became critical of the Tsar; some joined revoloutionary groups
What was the Obrok
a fixed cash sum all state serfs paid
Who were privately-owned serfs
Privately-Owned serfs who paid fedual dues in labour,cash or goods and typically in fertile land. They were worse off as they had less control
What rights did Landlords hold over their serfs
- Marriage/Sale of serfs
- controlled distrubution of land
- demand any money as taxation or feudal dues in labour, money or goods
How much of feudal dues was a serf’s income
2/3
what rights were serfs given over their land
free to farm land for their own use and controlled village life
What was a Mir
Village community with 50-300 people
What were the advantage and disadvantage of Mirs according to ‘A Source Book for Russian History from Early Times to 1917‘
gave them ‘organic coherence’ but the equal division of land was ‘not favourable…to agriculture’
What was the economy like in Villages
It was mainly based on agriculture with some small handmade goods to sell
Villagers were self-sufficient and made their own clothes,tools and houses. Often bartered for
How did the Russian seasonality effect village life
the short 5-6 months Russian growing season made all harvesting and sowing occur within a small 6 weeks
thus men and women worked together in a tialgo
Why were Children viewed as economic assets in villages
- Bigger families were allocated more land
- took care of elderly
- could work in factories
How many peasants revolts were there over every 5 year period after 1826 and what did this cause
At least 400 due to the ups and downs in harvests, resulting in large flights of peasants to the frontier or passive resistance due to discontent
What were the functions of the elected village officials
- administer common land
- supervised tax collections
- organise provisions for vulnerable and education
- But responsible to landlord
What were the defects of the Russian industrilisation growth
- lack of technical skills
- lack of capital
By the 19th Century Russia was no.1 in the world in _____
IRON
How were industrial workers treated and what did that lead to
- Industrial workers had low, irreegular wage
- Reforms and complaints were rarely successful
Thus many escaped to the frontier or partook in active resistance
How much of Russia was infertile
At least 50%
How did Russia’s freezing over of rivers affect it
Irrigation, trade and transport were stopped.
What % os Russia was Russian (in 1897) and how did this affect it
44% were Russians :
- hard to translate orders into so many languages
- tensions between different people
Define Autocracy
The undiluted exercise of the power of the sovereign
Who was Konsantin Petrovich Pobedonostev (Pobby)
- Strong influence over Alexander III and Nicholas II
- considered one of the falsest of political principles was that all power issues from the people and is based upon national will
What political changes did Alexander I incur (1801-25)
- Following the French revolution he pondered setting up an advisory representative assembly and giving it law making powers
- He never set it up; increasing want for representatives
What political changes did Nicholas I (1825-55) incur
- rejected democratic representation
- Decembrists revolt encouraged repression path
- chose censorship, the secret police and the Third Section.
What political changes did Alexander II (1855-81)
- least autocratic and sought reform but wanted it to be ‘handed down from abover not seized from below’
- Regressed into reactionary elements after assassination attempt
- His assassination made Alexander III receptive to Pobby
What political changes did Alexander III (1881-94) incur
end of concessions and reforms
significant increase in the use of police powers
What political changes did Nicholas II (1894-1917) incur
- continually resisted constitutional reform up until at least 1905
- constitution in 1905 allowed for political parties and a legislature in the form of Duma
- Alexandra and Rasputin failed traditional supporters lost faith
- Autocracy died with the Revolution of March 1917
- The Tsar was forced to abdicate
What were the 3 pillars of Tsardom
Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Nationalism
Define Autocracy
for the system of governance to be held by one power
Define orthodoxy
Faith in God and the Tsar as the ebodiment of the God on earth
Define Nationalism
Russian identity made it resist outside Western ideas and perform ‘russification’
Who were the slavophiles
Slavophiles were devout orthodox christians who wanted change within the 3 pillars of Tsardom
Who were the Westernisers
Anti-religion who wanted a democratic system of government, similar to Western governments
How was the Tsar funded
it came from feudal dues and taxation with nobility exempt
What was the strategic motives for the Crimean War
strengthen borders and stop it falling to rival powers
What were the economic motives for the Crimean War
the need for a warm water port
What were the main causes of the Crimean War
Power + Fear + Control
Power: Russia wanted to carve up ‘the sick man of europe’
Fear : Britain was scared of Russia’s huge army and advance through Central Asia and growth in Europe
Control : Turkey controlled warm water ports
